The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-27
IN PARLIAMENT HOUSE.
WITH THE LORDS AND THE COM
MOWERS OF ENGLAND.

MON Emo OF GNCbAND.
The Ceremony of Announcing the
Royal Assent-Property Representa-
tion-The Gentleman Usher Of the
Black Rod.
From the Baltimore Sun
LONDON, Aug yesterday I spent all
the hours from O'Clock in the afternoon
until midnight in Parliament House, and
was never more interested than in what
saw and heard Half of this time | was
on the floor of one or the other House
watching the manner of conducting bust
ness, and the remainder was occupied in
conversation in the refreshment and slnok-
ing rooms, or on the broad terrace which
overhangs the Thames, and is called the
Commons" Terrace, being considered the
peculiar property of that body, where
no member of the House of Lords goes
except by invitation. The Lords Ter
race, which fronts, but is not directly on
the river, is not SO handsome as that of the
Commons, and although a member of the
latter body is not expect ed to wait for an
invitation to visit it, and it is perfectly
good form for him to go in the absence of
such, it Is very rarely that a member of
either House is found on the terrace which
is considered as the property of the other.
On summer nights, when wearied with the
debates or exhausted with the pent-up air
of their respective chambers, the Lords and
the Commons flock out upon their terraces,
and spend hours in the cool air. smoking or
slipping refreshments.
SMALL BUT HANDSOME QUARTERS.
While one who enters the chambers of the
Houses of Parliament is at once struck with
their contracted dimensions, he cannot but
be attracted by their handsome ornamental
ton The stuffy little galleries which hang
over these chambers are ridiculously small,
as compared with the fine accommodations
for the public in the capitol at Washington,
but | was told that it is only on the rarest
occasions that they are found insufficient
One of the reasons for this may be the diff
Guilty of obtaining access, for under
ordinary and usual circumstances it
takes more time and trouble to
get into the galleries of Parlia-
ment than most persons would care to I'M
dergo. After receiving the coveted ticket
to the gallery the visitor, before he can
climb the narrow stairway, is required to
sign his name and address, with the name
of the member by whom he is introduced,
in book especially kept for that purpose
When he gets to the top of the stair he is
confronted by very imposing looking and
consequential doorkeeper, in full evening
dress, with a great gilt badge stretched
across his bosom. This doorkeeper inspects
the ticket quite leisurely, and then with a
snap of his finger indicates to the Wis
itor where he is to take his seat. l
presume the. House of Commons pub
lie galleries may possibly, if crowded,
give room for about 200 people, but no
more. There are two narrow galleries
which run along the sides of the chamber,
called members galleries, into which per-
haps as many more might be crowded, but
it is very rarely that visitors are put into
these They are reserved for members own
accommodation, and on occasions when the
House is quite full, by reason of
unusual proceedings, members go into
these galleries and address the Speaker
from them Home people,
should imagine, are not much in the
habit of attending the proceedings of Par
lament, contenting themselves quite likely
with reading the very full reports that the
papers print. At least three-fourths of the
persons who were in the Commons galleries
yesterday were Americans. In the Lords
galleries | did not see any one during the
whole evening. There were q number of
people hanging around the doors at times,
but had no means of gaining access to
peer to secure admission for them.
THE ROYAL ASSENT.
While | was on the floor of the House
of Lords | witnessed the ceremony of the
announcement of the royal assent to certain
measures of Parliament It was rather an
elaborate ceremony over such a small mat
ter. The Lord Chancellor, with his ire
mendous horsehair wig, which covers the
sides of his face and hangs down on his
shoulders, the Duke of Buckingham and the
Earl of Lathon were the commissioners 90
signify the Queens assent. When all was
ready, the door of the House of Lords was
opened, and simultaneously the door of the
House The Lord Chancellor, from his
chair, and the Speaker from his chair,
looking across the intervening corridors
and the lobby between, were in sight of
each other. As soon as the two recognized
each other the policemen, who were distrib
uted all along, cleared the way, command
ing Hats OFF, The Speaker then, with
slow and stately tread, marched from the
Commons to the Lords, the Sergeant-at-
Arms preceding him with his uplifted
mace which is about five times as big as
that of the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House
of Representatives, and attended by several
of his own assistants, all in evening dress.
The Speaker was in knee brooches and
black silk stockings, which covered legs
not much to boast of, and q train at
the end of his gown about three
yards long. This train was up
held by the ''trainbearer" to the Speaker,
who receives ESQ per annum for his ser
vices. Behind the trainbearer came dozen
or more of the members of the House, who
follow on such occasions to make the dis
play more imposing. When the Speaker
with his retinue entered and took places in
front of the commissioners, who received
them with due ceremony, the Lord Chair
ceilor, acting as spokesman, declared that
the Queen had been pleased to give her
assent to certain measures which he named,
and then, after bowling all around, the
Speaker aad his cavalcade marched back to
the House Of Commons.
SOME POINTS OF DIFFERENCE.
L heard several speeches in the House of
Lords, one by the Duke of Argyle, brother
ln-law of the Princess Louise The appear
ance of the Duke was pretty thoroughly dis
cussed by the papers when he was in
America. ! sat only a few feet from him,
and saw that he had not changed since then.
lie has most benevolent look, and talks in
an easy, pleasant way, more after the style
OF American speakers, it seemed to me, than
The English style. He is not particularly
graceful IN his delivery, as during his re-
marks he leaned clear over and rested his
weight on the table before him. Only one
Oh The Lords spiritual was present, but he
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